United Pitched Delta Merger, Combining 2 Top U.S. Airlines
Updated
Updated · Skift Travel News · Jul 26
United Pitched Delta Merger, Combining 2 Top U.S. Airlines
3 articles · Updated · Skift Travel News · Jul 26
Summary
United CEO Scott Kirby approached Delta CEO Ed Bastian last year about a merger that would have joined two of the most profitable U.S. carriers, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Delta reviewed the proposal and weighed its merits in preliminary due diligence, but the talks went no further and both airlines dropped the idea.
Kirby’s outreach fits United’s push for large-scale deals, though no mega-transaction has materialized and American Airlines also rejected a separate approach, according to the earlier report.
Any tie-up between major U.S. airlines would likely have faced intense antitrust scrutiny, even as higher fuel prices after the Iran war had fueled expectations of broader airline consolidation.